Is it my imagination or are we getting less exposure so far than in previous elections?Usual the local press offers space for short statements. Local radio give brief interviews. There are a number of hustings.Are these to come or is my impression that they have passed voters by fairly accurate.

There is something in what you say but it depends on the constituency. In Swansea there have been at least two hustings and local press coverage which have not yet been reported here.There never was that much press coverage in the London constituencies as there is no real local press there. The London evening paper covers the whole of London and is not going to give coverage to 70 or so individual constituencies while the print versions of local papers have been reduced to free advertising rags distributed along with pizza menus. Hustings were due in the two constituencies we are contesting but both were cancelled because of the Manchester massacre. We actually got more publicity contesting the local election in Guildford than we have had in London.If we had contested Oxford and Brighton, which for various different reasons we chose not to, the situation would have been different. In fact, in both places we received invitations to hustings before nominations closed. On reflection we should probably have contested these, even if it would have been more difficult to organise the campaign.There are on-line newspapers and it remains to be seen if they will mention all the local candidates and what they stand for (and a photo or equivalent).

More from Swansea. Letter published in the South Wales Evening Post on 31 May:

Quote:

Your correspondent Karen Laurence argued that we should use our advanced technology to create not to destroy (Postbox, 26 May). In other words we should use it to give everyone decent and peaceful lives rather than to produce weaponry to disrupt and destroy those lives. How can anyone disagree with this? But the fly in the ointment is that the system we live under is simply not geared to using its inventions, its discoveries and its technology in this way. Its sole purpose is to produce goods and services to sell on the market and make a profit. This system – whether it’s in Europe, USA, Russia or China – is not called capitalism for nothing. Its purpose is to allow those who own capital to invest it in order to accumulate more wealth not to further human wellbeing. Under this system technology, whether old or new, will be used in this way, and if the consequences are negative or destructive to humanity (e.g. environmental degradation or war), then so be it. 'Progress perverted' it can be called. What’s the alternative? Well the only possible alternative is a worldwide society of common ownership and production for use not profit. We are talking about a society without states and frontiers, without owners and wage/salary workers, without buying and selling but based on democratic cooperative organisation where everyone has access to what they require to satisfy their needs without the rationing system that is money. It’s only in this context that we’ll be able to use advanced technology and the resources it gives us rationally and sustainably to produce what we really need when we need it. Only in this way will everyone be enabled to contribute their, knowledge, skills and experience freely to ensure a decent, comfortable life for themselves and for the whole of humanity. Howard Moss.

Unfortunately they left out: Agent for Brian Johnson, Socialist Party of Great Britain candidate for Swansea West constituency

Howard's letter is now on the blog.http://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/That is the reason for my suspicions. I usually get reports and letters that i place on the blog and there has been a dearth of those compared with previous election campaigns.

Five people out in and around Battersea yesterday. Stall outside Head Office and leafletting at Clapham South and Wandsworth Town stations in the constituency. Only a few hundred leaflets left now. Remains to be seen if the online versions of the two local papers covering the area, the Wandsworth Guardian and the South London Press, deign to give their readers information on who is standing and what they stand for.

Earlier this evening I had Greg Hands,Conservative Candidate for Chelsea and Fulham,come canvassing. He was one Smug sort. When I told him I would be voting Labour on June 8th he viewed this as a challenge and cited an article in the current Socialist Standard as an example of how divided the Labour Party was and his pleasure at your advice to NOT Vote Labour on June 8th. I did try to explain that The Socialist Party and The Labour Party are not the same but it went over his head. I find it a bit of a concern that The Conservative Party are using your publication to attack Jeremy Corbyn. I was not going to Vote however that Smug git made me so angry I am going to Vote Labour.

How does Greg Hands know the Socialist Standard? Have other Tories been using this argument?

I'm hoping that the minority government is too unstable to maintain and we have another election at the end of the year.And have those candidates that we could have had standing, contesting even more seats next time around.

I'm hoping that the minority government is too unstable to maintain and we have another election at the end of the year.

Oh no, not another one! People won't stand it. There are local elections in London next year. That's what we need to concentrate on.

You are missing the point. What we need to concentrate on is providing the opportunity for workers to express their agreement with the socialist case. This hung parliament is not going to last long, they never do. Which means that we have start planning for the next general election NOW with more candidates standing. And more distribution of the election leaflet.

Summer School 2020

Summer School

The Socialist Party’s 2020 Summer School looks at technological progress and its application in the past, present and future. This weekend of talks and discussion is an exciting opportunity to share and explore revolutionary ideas with others, through the SPGB’s Discord server.